Carbon treated nylon and synthetic polymer yarns are employed in some carpet manufacturing processes for imparting anti-static properties to multi-filament carpet yarn. This anti-static yarn is usually blended into a carpet yarn containing 50 to over 200 filaments in each yarn end or bundle. This blending operation occurs on a yarn processing panel.
The anti-static yarn is usually monofilament, or includes only a few filaments of small denier (6-20), and can be fragile and easily broken. Consequently, the anti-static yarn must be treated gently until blended into the protection of the multi-filament carpet yarn.
A prior method and apparatus for blending the anti-static yarn to the carpet yarn includes a vertical package arrangement for continuous feed, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 1, two supply packages containing fragile, anti-static yarn or thread are aligned for feeding yarn into a vertically oriented first trumpet guide, positioned a distance of approximately 11 inches from the supply packages. After passing through the trumpet guide the thread passes around a roller and becomes horizontally oriented before passing through a lost-end-detector and second trumpet guide into a processing panel. The distance between the first trumpet guide and lost-end-detector is approximately 7 inches. As the thread supply of the first spool depletes, a new thread supply from a second spool begins feeding thread into the first trumpet guide, at a different thread supply angle. Due to the fragile qualities of the anti-static yarn, the first trumpet guide is positioned an appreciable distance from the supply packages, to minimize the thread supply path and excessive tension fluctuations that might otherwise result in yarn breakage by closer positioning.
In this prior art arrangement, the anti-static yarn is tensioned within the range of 20 to 25 grams, and because of its fragile qualities, breakage does occasionally occur. Such tension is generally attributable to the roller turn required of the thread for proper alignment with the yarn processing panel. However, the vertical trumpet guide/roller arrangement has heretofore been necessary to properly control the "ballooning effect" resulting in increased tension fluctuations experienced as the yarn feeds off the spool in a rapid manner.
Each time thread breakage occurs, the processing panel is shut down by the lost-end-detector and must be manually strung up by an operator, resulting in lost production time, yarn waste and other inefficiencies.